TRADE AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2718, 13 March 1916, Page 8

TRADE AND THE WAR

0 LARGE INCREASE IN IMPORTS. The Board of Trade recently issued a return relating to the trade and commerce of certain foreign countries and British Possessions. The figures of the oversea trade of the United Kingdom for the ten months ended October last show a large increase in imports and a considerable decrease in exports compared with similar periods in 1914 and 1913. The figures are:— Imports. Exports. £ £ 1915 628,252,000 315,061,000 1914 489,816,000 379,350,0G0 1913 537,550,000 437,378,000 There was a large increase in the exports of the United. States, the figures being: 1915, £585,852,000; 1914, £339,668,000; 1913, £411,339,000. France increased her' imports in the same period from ,£229,141,000 to' £263,331,000, and Italy brought her imports up from £101,735,000 to .£103,970,000. In every other case mentioned imports declined; Japan by nearly 7J milions, British India by 20,1 milions, Canada by over 12J millions, British South Africa by 4i millions, Egypt by nearly o millions, Russia (nine months) by nearly 48 millions, Spain by over 4 millions, Brazil (nino months) by nearly 3J millions, Argentina (nine months) by nearly 13i millions, Australia (nine months) by nearly 7 millions, and Now Zealand by nearly 1 J , millions. With regard to exports, Prance more than any other belligerent reflected the effcct of the war, her exports declining from £225.564,000 in 1913 to £177,323,000 for 1914, and to £97,341,000 for the ten months ended October last. "Russia, however, registered the enormous decrease of over 64 millions for nino months. British India exports decreased in the ten months by over 19 millions, British South Africa by nearly 4 millions, and Australia (nino months) by nearly 5} millions. In other cases increases wero recorded: Italy by nearly 1J millions, Egypt" by 1 million, Japan by nearly 7 millions, Canada, by over 26} millions, Spain (nine months) by 11 millions, Brazil (nino months) by 9} millions, Argentina (nine months) by nearly 35J millions, and Now Zealand by 1} millions.